Two Seafarers Lost At Sea

Two Filipino crew members of the Marietje Andrea cargo ship drowned off the Sweddish Trelleborg coast on 5 December, 2013. The cause of their doom was still unclear but the weather condition was reported to have been good and the sea calm.

Both crew members, cousins Gleemar Sapanta and Harlan Layosa of 26 and 27 years old, started their work to clean the cargo ship's deck at 8:00 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, the ship's chief officer heard a scream and next he saw both crew members floating on the river.

It was the first and last trip for Gleemar Sapanta, from Halsvik to Riga. The other missing crew member, Harlan Layosa, had sailed many years before the accident for the Dutch vessel owner Danser-Van Gent.

Eight hours, other crew members of the cargo ship Marietje Andrea were searching for both colleagues, assisted by 4 other merchant ship, among which MV Delfborg, 2 air planes, 3 helicopters with infrared and thermal image cameras, 2 rescue crafts and the Coast Guard of Sweden. The search and rescue operation was suspended after the darkness fell.

There isn't any hope of finding Marietje Andrea's crew members, Harlan and Gleemar alive due to cold Baltic Sea water, which is around 6 degrees.

Colleagues of the Marietje Andreas crew members' from Wagenborg South East Asia have informed the relatives and families of both missing seafarers.

We are crushed and deeply saddened about the loss of our beloved colleagues. Our thoughts and feelings of sympathy are with Gleemar and Harlans' families, stated crew members of Marietje Andrea and Danser company.

In the meantime the cargo ship continued en route to Riga.

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